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US Department of Agriculture

Animal rights groups have revealed the startling extent of cruelty that goes on at livestock auctions across the nation. Mercy For Animals (MFA) recently conducted an undercover investigation into the inhumane treatment of animals at these houses and found “an ongoing pattern of cruelty, egregious violence, and severe neglect.”

The company was charged with violating anti-cruelty laws, yet these abuses continue nation-wide. Under the Animal Welfare Act, you have regulatory control over the treatment of animals in transit and by dealers. It is your responsibility to impose consequences on the livestock auctions that are in clear violation of this law. We request that you allocate proper resources toward the implementation of initiatives cracking down on similar abuses across the country.

We need you to blow the whistle on rampant livestock auction cruelty and put measures in place to eradicate these abuses at once!

Signed,

Jessica Dahl

This petition closed over 2 years ago

How this will help

Each year millions of American cows, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep and other animals who are raised, bought and sold for slaughter will travel from farms to livestock auctions. Mercy for Animals...

Each year millions of American cows, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep and other animals who are raised, bought and sold for slaughter will travel from farms to livestock auctions. Mercy for Animals (MFA), an animal rights group, revealed that there are ongoing instances of “cruelty, egregious violence, and severe neglect at livestock auctions.” MFA recently captured an undercover footage from an Ontario Livestock house showing the workers “throwing, beating, stomping and kicking animals in the face and body.” Watch the heartbreaking video here (please note the images are graphic): http://www.mercyforanimals.org/auction/video.aspx

As the shocking hidden camera footage went viral, public outcry spurred an investigation by local law enforcement resulting in the arrest of seven of the offending employees. The auction's owner was charged with a total of 21 counts of animal cruelty. Sadly, this tragic case is not an isolated event - MFA claims that animal cruelty is commonplace at auction houses across the U.S.

These types of abuses include:

- The sale of "downed" animals – those too sick or injured to even stand or walk on their own – being left to slowly suffer and die without food, water or veterinary care. Downed animals are more likely to carry diseases that threaten public health if allowed to enter the human food supply.
- Sick, injured and dying animals being kicked, pushed and dragged into transport trucks to be sold and slaughtered for human consumption.
- Birds stuffed into bags and goats, sheep and other animals overcrowded into small pens, forcing animals to stand on and even trample each other.

Sign the petition demanding that the USDA take steps to end this cruelty. It is critical that the USDA crack down on the barbaric actions taking place at livestock auctions and enforce initiatives meant to prevent it.